At least two members of the Switch hacking community have seen their consoles/accounts banned from Nintendo’s online systems (error code 2124-4007), triggering a fear of massive bans from the Switch scene, and a bunch of “ha, we told you so, you nasty hackers” from some mainstream gaming sites.

Error Code 2124-4007

Hackers ShinyQuagsire and SciresM have recently reported on Twitter that their consoles (and/or accounts) have been banned from accessing Nintendo’s online services, including the eShop. ShinyQuagsire implied that somebody else also got their console banned recently.

Are you at risk of a 2124-4007 ban?

It doesn’t necessarily mean that Nintendo started a massive wave of banhammer on everybody in the scene though.

SciresM and ShinyQuagsire are heavy tinkerers who have been doing lots of hacking experiments on their consoles. As they admit themselves, because Nintendo have multiple ways to detect invalid activity on the console (including for example extensive crash reports that can be sent to their servers), it is unclear which one of their activities (crashes while working on homebrew, downloading content from Nintendo’s servers by non-traditional means, usage of the homebrew loader), or potentially a combination of them, actually triggered the ban.

Bottom line is, unless you’re a hacker heavily involved in doing lots of experiments with your Switch, there’s no proof at the moment that using homebrews or a hacked console will get you banned.

However, and this is true for any console: you have to accept the rules, that a company like Nintendo can choose to ban your console or your account if they have any good reason to believe that you are in breach of their terms and conditions, or if you are threatening their network.

So, unlike mainstream media, I will not tell you to “not hack your favourite systems” (it’s my machine, I’ll do whatever I want with it, thank you very much), however I would personally recommend people who use a hacked console to not access any of Nintendo’s services with it. My personal solution is to keep my hacked consoles off the internet as much as possible (this is what I currently do with my hacked PS4 and Switch), or to block access to the known networks of the manufacturer (Nintendo in this case)

Feel free to mess with your console, but understand the risks. So far, nobody has reported such a ban, except for people who are experimenting with their console on a much larger scale than the typical scene member.

What to do if you get error code 2124-4007 on your Nintendo Switch?

Provided you don’t do something foolish such as accessing the eShop or other Nintendo online services with a hacked (or previously hacked) Switch, you should be fine. If however you face the dreaded error code 2124-4007 on your Nintendo Switch, the only official option for now is to contact Nintendo’s customer support service.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/24/switch-are-nintendo-really-banning-hack-enthusiasts/feed/1538708PS4 Hack: Project Mira ported to firmware 4.55, Android Companion App in the workshttp://wololo.net/2018/05/24/ps4-hack-project-mira-ported-to-firmware-4-55-android-companion-app-in-the-works/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/24/ps4-hack-project-mira-ported-to-firmware-4-55-android-companion-app-in-the-works/#commentsThu, 24 May 2018 01:13:05 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38704Project Mira was released a few days ago, but unfortunately, without the accompanying PS4 5.05 jailbreak, it’s pretty much unusable by the majority. For those of us who are on firmware 4.55 however, here’s...

For those of us who are on firmware 4.55 however, here’s some very good news: developer CrazyVoid has ported the code to firmware 4.55. And yes, because 4.55 is hacked, it is now possible to enjoy what Mira brings to us.

People have been starting to use Mira on their 4.55 firmware, and are reporting about some of the cool stuff you can do with it, at least as a developer. In particular, Mira lets you look at the kernel log of your PS4, which is extremely convenient to trace bugs.

The change in itself is mostly made of specific offset updates. Not sure if CrazyVoid just makes it look simple, or if Mira is done in a way that porting to more firmwares is pretty straightforward. Probably a combination of both

Mira Companion App for Android upcoming

In parallel, developer ValentinBreiz, known for his work on porting Linux launchers to various firmwares of the PS4, revealed the Open Orbis team are working on a companion app for Mira. The app will let you manage plugins and more directly from your Android phone. That sounds pretty cool (although it probably assumes the PS4 will need to be connected to at least your local network, which personally I am reluctant to do because I’m worried I’ll mess things up and it will end up connecting to the internet). The source of Mira Companion can be found on OpenOrbis team’s github here.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/24/ps4-hack-project-mira-ported-to-firmware-4-55-android-companion-app-in-the-works/feed/1138704Why The Flow is delaying the 3.68 Henkaku exploit (and why you should stop asking for a release)http://wololo.net/2018/05/24/why-the-flow-is-delaying-the-3-68-henkaku-exploit-and-why-you-should-stop-asking-for-a-release/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/24/why-the-flow-is-delaying-the-3-68-henkaku-exploit-and-why-you-should-stop-asking-for-a-release/#commentsThu, 24 May 2018 00:46:27 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38691Console hacking is not an easy task and it isn’t achieved overnight. This is something you hear quite a lot in every scene and forum, and you hear it a lot from developers themselves....

]]>Console hacking is not an easy task and it isn’t achieved overnight. This is something you hear quite a lot in every scene and forum, and you hear it a lot from developers themselves.
There is a reason why developers “hold back” exploits, hacks and tools, and it’s not because they are “feeding their ego” and “taunting” users – there’s a war going on between console manufacturers and hackers so strategy has an important role.

Having an entry point allows you to find more entry points

The first time we all heard from The Flow was back in the PSP days and firmware 6.20; known to be unhackable at the time, Total_Noob (as he was then called) suddenly showcased a video of him running a kernel exploit that allowed him to launch pretty much any homebrew, emulator and, eventually, ISO for the console on Sony’s latest firmware.
I remember back then how every day I was looking up his blog to read about his progress on the upcoming 6.20 HEN that would finally liberate my PSP. It took him a few months but it felt like ages.
It was easy for me – as a regular user with little to no knowledge of computer science – to think he was being a d*ck for not releasing earlier and making us mere mortals wait for his holly grail of PSP hacks.
I was SOOOOOO wrong, and here’s why.

Soon after the release of Total_Noob’s 6.20 HEN, a hellbunch of other tools started showing up; ISO loaders, CFW for 6.20, an unofficial port of 6.20 HEN to 6.3X firmwares, and most important of all; the 6.20 permapatch and 6.60 Kernel exploit(s).
All of this was possible thanks to TN’s initial 6.20 entry point; it allowed other hackers to dig deeper into the system and find other flaws. And TN’s 6.20 HEN was in itself based off the great work done by M0skit0, Wololo, wth, JSS and others who made usermode exploits a useful reality (HBL!).
I can keep going back on the history of hacking the PSP and PS Vita, but truth be told: having an entry point (as little as it may be) will allow you to find more (and better) entry points.

There is only one known PS Vita User and Kernel exploit (for now)

Unless some other developer suddenly proves us wrong, we only have knowledge of The Flow’s 3.68 Exploits (which are two by the way; one in usermode, one in kernelmode).
As we all know very well, you need a user exploit first to then trigger the kernel exploit.
The kernel exploit is available to anyone (it is an exploit in the firmware itself shipped with every Vita), but user exploits are a whole different thing; they don’t exist in the Vita’s OS, they reside in an application or game that runs on the Vita.
So far we have seen exploits in the Mail App (that allowed us to arbitrarily write files to the memcard) and the Web Browser.
However, user exploits are easily patchable with new firmware updates, and take into consideration exploits in games and other apps are not bundled with every Vita so if you are unlucky enough to not grab the “golden game” with the exploit you will be unable to run the kernel exploit, even if your Vita does have such kernel exploit available.We need more user exploits available to more users before the kernel exploit is released.

VHBL and ARK are still a thing

Over the years hackers have come up with more clever and better ways to hack our consoles. Focusing on the PSP and PS Vita we have the Infinity permapath for 6.61 by Davee, the Enso bootloader exploit by Team Molecule, and the custom PSP bubbles (researched by many developers). Loading PSP homebrews and emulator is possible on latest firmware with VHBL thanks to that.
While Enso has been patched, some hacks like the Infinity permapatch and custom PSP bubbles remains unpatchable; mostly due to how clever they are, requiring Sony to do mayor changes to the console software/hardware itself and/or the games, thus making it hard for them to engineer a working solution, and Sony doesn’t seem to care about updating their portable consoles.

Among these “unpatchable” exploits we still have some remains from the days of OILIX Hacks.
For those of you who don’t remember, OILIX was a Team formed mainly by qwikrazor87 and Acid_Snake (myself), with collaboration from other scene veterans such as Total_Noob/The Flow.
It was thanks to that team that we were able to play PSX games with full sound on our PS Vita for the first time, as well as 40+ PSP usermode exploits and 7+ PSP kernel exploits, and some of them are still available to us.
For the meantime it is still more theory than practice, but PSP and PSX bubble loaders should be (and most likely will be) a reality.
With all the PSX and PSP catalogue at your disposal (including all the homebrews and emulators we have for the PSP), there really is no need for a native hack right now, we need to go baby steps. Besides, there are no homebrews for the PS Vita, so we all know the native kernel exploit will be used for piracy anyways.

There is still a lot of life left in the Vita (and a lot to learn from it)

You might not believe me, but the PS Vita is powerful enough to emulate the PS2, at least with a compatibility similar to, or even better than, a non-BC PS3. It just requires knowing a lot about its architecture, both Software and Hardware, and a lot of hard work.
Sony knows this, but they never did it (another proof of them leaving the console behind).
Native hacks have been around for over a year now, there’s not enough developers and there’s not enough knowledge about the system.
You might think that if a native kernel exploit is released for latest firmware it will somehow attract more attention to other hackers, but this isn’t what happens. If the exploit is released, Sony will patch it and developers (both old and new) will have a harder time attacking latest firmware.Hackers don’t have to publicly share their code to have other hackers on board, they can secretly communicate information without posing a threat of leaks or patches by Sony.
It is important for us right now to allow hackers to dwell into our devices as much as they can and for as long as possible, this allows exploits and hacks to be better and bigger. Releasing all the work done right now will throw it all to the garbage.

Enjoy your device and all it has to offer (for now)

The PS Vita is a wonderful console, the best portable PlayStation experience you can get (and the best portable experience overall IMHO). The console itself is cheap, the games (both physical and online) are cheap, and VHBL offers a huge amount of extra entertainment with no piracy involved (unless you count emulators and ROMs). Let hackers do their job of happily working on their code and their tools while you enjoy whatever has been released for now. Remember that the more time it takes for hackers to release something, the better that “something” will be.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/24/why-the-flow-is-delaying-the-3-68-henkaku-exploit-and-why-you-should-stop-asking-for-a-release/feed/2638691Installer 5 Revealed: A Cydia alternative alternative that could potentially reboot the iOS jailbreaking scene!http://wololo.net/2018/05/23/installer-5-revealed-cydia-alternative-alternative-potentially-reboot-ios-jailbreaking-scene/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/23/installer-5-revealed-cydia-alternative-alternative-potentially-reboot-ios-jailbreaking-scene/#commentsTue, 22 May 2018 22:07:14 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38684As more time goes by, the amount of people that jailbreak their iOS devices has been decreasing drastically. Now, Installer 5 has been revealed in the hopes of providing a modern alternative to Saurik’s Cydia!...

]]>As more time goes by, the amount of people that jailbreak their iOS devices has been decreasing drastically. Now, Installer 5 has been revealed in the hopes of providing a modern alternative to Saurik’s Cydia!

What is Installer 5?

Cydia currently suggests you install packages that were designed for iOS 6…

As its name suggests, it’s a package manager for jailbroken iOS devices that lets you install jailbreak-related software. These include applications that need a jailbreak, tweaks, themes and many other packages that Apple doesn’t want you to be installing.

Without a doubt, the first thing that most will think of when hearing of Installer 5 is Cydia, Saurik’s package manager that has been with us since iPhone OS 1.1!

Unfortunately, Cydia hasn’t evolved too much since its initial release back in 2008 and while it does its job, it’s become quite a relic of the past nowadays. To fix that, the AppTapp team have come to the rescue so that jailbroken iDevice will finally have a store front that’s suitable in this day in age!

What do we know? Is Installer 5 better than Cydia?

Today, Sammy Guichelaar, a member of AppTapp team and one of the Installer 5 developers, has posted a pretty lengthy reveal post on Reddit telling us virtually everything we need to know about this brand-new package manager. While there are a lot of great things in Installer 5’s reveal post, let’s go through the most important ones which are:

Installer 5 will support every jailbroken iDevice running iOS 8-11.1.2. This includes support for both 32-bit and 64-bit devices according to a recent tweet by the AppTapp team.

The interface has been greatly revamped and now resembles that of iOS 11’s App Store, even including the huge title banners in some places.

Other than offering a better and more modern look, the new UI provides packages with a page that looks like official iOS App Store listings. This means that packages will have screenshots, a general description about what they do and the ability to rate them by default!

The new UI gives jailbreaking the store front it always deserved but do keep in mind that the new UI isn’t only about its looks!

A totally new way to install packages is used. Instead of using DEBs, Installer 5 uses ZIP files that contain the files needed and no extra dependencies are needed. This is a major advantage when it comes to porting Installer 5 to new jailbreaks since Cydia is often considered to be a headache to port due to its various dependencies.

Another important feature is that Installer 5, by default, only shows you packages that are compatible with your version of iOS! This will save you the time of scrolling through walls of incompatible packages and will ultimately make installing jailbreak stuff much more enjoyable!

Thankfully, it can work simultaneously with Cydia and installed packages are even synced up between the two to prevent conflicts!

Many other great features including no advertisements, a totally new repository system, enhanced security, Palert support and a Featured page so that you can check out what’s hot on that particular day!

It is important to note that Installer 5 is currently in beta testing so it won’t be released to the public immediately and no specific release date has been given yet!

Conclusion

With all of the above, Installer 5 may be what it takes to get the ball rolling again in the iOS jailbreaking scene.

I personally think that if Installer 5 is properly pulled off and has enough developer support, it could finally take jailbreaking out of its present decline!

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/23/installer-5-revealed-cydia-alternative-alternative-potentially-reboot-ios-jailbreaking-scene/feed/1338684PS4: Mathieulh shows he has a 5.55 kernel dump, taunts Sonyhttp://wololo.net/2018/05/22/ps4-mathieulh-shows-5-55-kernel-dump-taunts-sony/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/22/ps4-mathieulh-shows-5-55-kernel-dump-taunts-sony/#commentsTue, 22 May 2018 13:28:07 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38681Hacker Mathieulh shared a string extracted from a PS4 kernel dump, from the latest 5.55 firmware. The string contains the date the firmware was compiled. This date, he says, is enough proof that he...

]]>Hacker Mathieulh shared a string extracted from a PS4 kernel dump, from the latest 5.55 firmware. The string contains the date the firmware was compiled. This date, he says, is enough proof that he has a decrypted dump of the PS4’s 5.55 kernel.

His tweet even takes a jab at Sony by directly including their official twitter account in his message. He also uses the opportunity to taunt other hackers, stating he is he first to decrypt the 5.55 firmware.

When asked, he also replied there would not be an exploit release for 5.5x in a long time. The upcoming 5.05 kernel exploit is what we’ll have for now

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/22/ps4-mathieulh-shows-5-55-kernel-dump-taunts-sony/feed/4438681PS4: Qwertyoruiop shares some details on the 5.05 kernel exploithttp://wololo.net/2018/05/21/ps4-qwertyoruiop-shares-details-5-05-kernel-exploit/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/21/ps4-qwertyoruiop-shares-details-5-05-kernel-exploit/#commentsMon, 21 May 2018 14:52:38 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38679Hacker Qwertyoruiop was at the 0x41con infosec conference in Romania this week, where he presented the details of his PS4 hacks, in particular how he recently implemented a kernel exploit for firmware 5.05. This...

]]>Hacker Qwertyoruiop was at the 0x41con infosec conference in Romania this week, where he presented the details of his PS4 hacks, in particular how he recently implemented a kernel exploit for firmware 5.05.

It’s an interesting read, but not as detailed as a typical writeup with the intent to explain the full thing.

The details are probably not enough for a 3rd party to release an implementation sooner than what SpecterDev will release, but we learn that the basic of the exploit abuses UMA, the FreeBSD Kernel memory allocator. The notes also give rough details on how he bypassed additional security that is implemented on the PS4 to avoid running the exploit.

Last but not least, the hacker shared some cool GTA V mods he’s been working on with his exploited PS4. In which each bullet he fires generates money on impact.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/21/ps4-qwertyoruiop-shares-details-5-05-kernel-exploit/feed/2138679PS4 5.05 Jailbreak when?http://wololo.net/2018/05/21/ps4-5-05-jailbreak/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/21/ps4-5-05-jailbreak/#commentsMon, 21 May 2018 02:00:11 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38671May 20th has come and gone, and we haven’t received the PS4 5.05 Jailbreak yet. How dare the hackers play with our feelings? A lot of people were expecting the 5.05 Jailbreak to be...

Can’t wait to run the 5.05 exploit on this baby. The God Of War Limited Edition PS4 Pro has been confirmed to ship with firmware 4.73

May 20th has come and gone, and we haven’t received the PS4 5.05 Jailbreak yet. How dare the hackers play with our feelings?

A lot of people were expecting the 5.05 Jailbreak to be published yesterday. This was mostly due to some miscommunication across all the scene, but not only. Basically, Project Mira 1.00 was released today, and people were expecting the kernel exploit to ship with it. It hasn’t.

It’s a good time to remind everyone that SpecterDev has not committed to a May 20th release of the exploit. His only official announce so far was that it would come “in a few weeks”, which, granted, was a few weeks ago. And frankly, even when a hacker gives you a date for a release, I’d take it with a bucket of salt. You never know what could happen. So, let’s chill for a little bit, as the release is coming, “soon”.

How “soon” is “soon”, though? Some scene websites have claimed SpecterDev stated he was delayed, and the exploit wouldn’t be released “before June”. But other, trusted devs, have debunked this statement as being fake. Hacker DarkElement published a statement from SpecterDev saying that “kexpl is closer to this week probably”.

Note the careful choice of words here: “kexpl”, “closer”, and “probably”. All of these words could lead to disappointment if you don’t read them correctly. Something that’s “close” to this week could very well be released next week. Next week is “close” to this week, after all. “probably” is self explanatory. And “kexpl”, meaning the kernel exploit, implies that maybe other parts of the stack could end up not being released at the same time. Example: “here’s the kernel exploit, now someone needs to port it to the existing webkit exploit”. We’ve seen that before.

In any case, you should take that one with a bucket of salt as well. Given the current atmosphere of doctored “discord” statements, I’ve reached out to SpecterDev to confirm his latest status, and will update if/when he gets back to me. For now, it’s safe to say May is a possibility, but June isn’t that fare either, so the release might be in June.

Update: SpecterDev has confirmed to me that the statement above is indeed from him: Kernel exploit release could happen this week.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/21/ps4-5-05-jailbreak/feed/1838671PS4 5.01/5.05: Project Mira 1.00 released (devs only)http://wololo.net/2018/05/21/ps4-5-01-5-05-project-mira-1-00-released-devs/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/21/ps4-5-01-5-05-project-mira-1-00-released-devs/#commentsMon, 21 May 2018 01:35:50 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38669The Open Orbis team has released the first compiled binary of Project Mira, a Custom Firmware for the PS4. Project Mira is currently compatible with Firmware 5.01 and 5.05. But this will not be...

The Open Orbis team has released the first compiled binary of Project Mira, a Custom Firmware for the PS4. Project Mira is currently compatible with Firmware 5.01 and 5.05. But this will not be useful to end users yet, as the upcoming PS4 Jailbreak for firmware 5.05 has not been released yet.

The accompanying tools, such as newlib, which would be useful for building homebrew, are currently marked as “in development” and maybe “not ready to use” in the official readme.

The 3 official readme files from the project have been updated, and tout a few upcoming features of project Mira, including a way to receive payload without going through webkit, a Linux loader, as well as the “OpenOrbis Store”, a “community driven application store” that will let people download plugins and homebrew.

Without any way to test for now, it is still difficult to properly imagine the possibilities that Project Mira will bring to our consoles. At the very least though, it feels like it could become the mother of all payloads, the only one you need to load after the exploit in order to do cool stuff with your console.

Download Project Mira 1.00 for PS4 5.01/5.05

You can download the release at the source below. Instructions on how to install and tun can be found in the readme (either in the source zip of the release,or directly on the github repo). Again, this is currently useful only if you have access to a PS4 5.05 kernel exploit.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/21/ps4-5-01-5-05-project-mira-1-00-released-devs/feed/2038669The last few days (20 May) in PSVita News and Homebrew: TheFlow gives more specific ETA for his upcoming 3.65-3.68 hack, Rocks’n’Diamonds released and VitaQuake updated to version 3.0http://wololo.net/2018/05/20/last-days-20-may-psvita-news-homebrew-theflow-gives-specific-eta-upcoming-3-65-3-68-hack-rocksndiamonds-released-vitaquake-updated-version-3-0/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/20/last-days-20-may-psvita-news-homebrew-theflow-gives-specific-eta-upcoming-3-65-3-68-hack-rocksndiamonds-released-vitaquake-updated-version-3-0/#commentsSun, 20 May 2018 10:50:00 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38660With HENkaku being released a little under two years ago, the PSVita hacking scene has started to slow down quite a bit but thankfully, there are still things to be excited about! This time...

]]>With HENkaku being released a little under two years ago, the PSVita hacking scene has started to slow down quite a bit but thankfully, there are still things to be excited about! This time around, we have a new homebrew game called Rocks’n’Diamonds, VitaQuake 3.0 and a more specific ETA for TheFlow’s upcoming FW 3.65-3.68 hack!

Rocks’n’Diamonds released for the PSVita

Rocks’n’Diamonds is a 2D puzzle game in which you have to traverse a grid to collect gems.

Stuff can get pretty hectic in Rocks’n’Diamonds with harder levels!

The gameplay is similar to that found in popular titles such as Boulder Dash, Emerald Mine and Sokoban games in which you have to collect specfic things while not killing yourself, getting trapped or running out of time!

This game was initially released in 1995 for free on a variety of platforms including Linux and MS-DOS by ArtSoft and was developed by Holger Schemel. Our trusty PSVita/PSTV devices got their port from scene veteran rsn8887 and like all his homebrew, this one also works very well. The controls are well defined and the game ran pretty smoothly in the first 3 levels I tried.

Rocks’n’Diamonds on the PSVita also lets you install user-made levels so you won’t be replaying levels if you like playing it a lot!

With this release, we can say that the PSVita has yet another nice mini-game to play on the go! Furthermore, this game has many levels and a level creator so you won’t get bored of it easily if you like these sorts of games! You may also download custom levels made by the community if you follow the link below.

To get this game, simply open VHBB and get it from there since it’s available on VitaDB!

VitaQuake updated to version 3.0

Developer Rinnegatamante doesn’t let his homebrew rot due to lack of support and yet again, he’s updated one of his homebrew titles. This time, it’s VitaQuake which has been updated to version 3.0 to bring along:

Better VitaGL code which makes the renderer run faster and need less memory!

Updated LiveArea screen.

Gyroscope sensitivity options have been separated by axis and you can now choose lower resolutions if you prefer them for whatever reason.

Thanks to VitaQuake, you can get an excellent Quake experience on the go!

VitaQuake now has more memory available to it so it may run better and be prone to less crashing in intense scenes or with demanding mods.

To get VitaQuake 3.0, start VHBB and get it from there. As always, it’s recommended you grab this update since it just further refines this already great game port!

TheFlow says next September or later as his ETA for the upcoming 3.65-3.68 hack!

Right now, the thing that most PSVita hackers or hackers-to-be are interested about is TheFlow’s upcoming hack for higher firmwares. If you’re patiently waiting to hack your PSVita running a firmware higher than 3.60, you’ll be pleased to hear that TheFlow has stated a more specific ETA.

TheFlow’s tweet about when your ‘suffering’ may end!

In his recent tweet about the subject, he stated that he won’t be releasing it before next September which unfortunately means that you won’t be hacking your currently unhackable PSVita/PSTV next summer. However, this will give you a more specific time frame to look forward to and will hopefully stop people from sending more ETA wen tweets to TheFlow!

Remember, this doesn’t mean he’ll release his hack in September 2018 so he may still opt to release it next year. With little doubt, Sony will patch the exploit with a new PSVita firmware update so perhaps having TheFlow release it later rather sooner could actually be beneficial in the long run if you play PSVita games!

Conclusion

To get more information about the above, simply follow the links below. If you have any issues with VitaQuake or Rocks’n’Diamonds, report them to their respective authors through the links below.

As always, don’t bother TheFlow with ETA tweets as he’s already given enough information about the subject!

]]>With all hacked consoles and devices, the first pieces of homebrew that start popping up are emulators. Now, thanks to some talented developers, hacked Switches on FW 4.0.0+ acquired emulators for Nintendo’s older portables!

Jakibaki ports a GBC and GBA emulator to the Switch

The GameBoy Colour and Advance are on the top of the emulation list for many people, including myself, due to the great games that these two portables offer. With jakibaki’s work, those who have a hacked Nintendo Switch on higher FWs can enjoy the emulators khedgb and gdkGBA which let you play GBC and GBA games respectively.

If you’re a fan of older GBC Pokemon games, you can now play them on your Switch running FW 4.x and 5.x but remember, this emulator is meant to become obsolete pretty soon so don’t expect very high amounts of polish!

khedgb is a GameBoy and GameBoy Colour emulator developed by ‘Khedoros‘ which was ported with the sole intention of playing GBC Pokemon games and not much more! Currently, it’s in a pretty rudimentary state without a proper GUI but it has the basic features you need to play games such as sound, saving and controller support so you’ll be able to get away with playing some Pokemon and maybe some other GBC games. Remember, this emulator will become obsolete once RetroArch gets ported to Switch FW 5.0.0 so the developer doesn’t intend to waste too much energy on it!

gdkGBA was developed by ‘gdkchan’ and is one of the numerous GBA emulators around.

You can now play GBA games on your Nintendo Switch running firmwares 4.x and 5.x, if you don’t mind the lack of polish!

Like the GameBoy Colour emulator, the reason why it exists is to fill the gap until RetroArch gets updated to work on firmwares higher than 3.0.0. Like khegdb, it has a rudimentary GUI and only has the basic features that are required to get your games running. According to some users, the emulator performs pretty well and sound has also been greatly improved in a recent update so your ears won’t start bleeding due to garbage audio!

The game directory for khedgb is sd:/switch/roms/gbc and the one for gdkGBA is sd:/switch/roms/gba.

DeSmuME gets ported to the Switch by MasterFeizz

Like he did with the PSVita, MasterFeizz has decided to port a Nintendo DS emulator to the Nintendo Switch.

You can now run Metroid Prime Hunters on your Switch, although it is far from being playable since it only runs at 5FPS according to Proto-Propski of GBATemp.

This emulator is currently in a WIP state and its interface is pretty rudimentary like the one found in the PSVita port. However, unlike the PSVita port, this port performs better but it must be noted that it runs pretty slowly on most games however with some further work, performance may actually become somewhat decent since the Switch’s hardware is much better than that found in the PSVita!

Users have reported that it works on both 4.x and 5.x and that the touchscreen works as an input method so perhaps you can go give some of your favourite DS games a go even if just for the thrill of seeing them run on your Switch! ROMs for this go into sd:/switch/desmume/roms

Conclusion

To get these emulators and learn more about them, simply head over to the links below, download the NRO files and get on testing out your favourite retro games!

N.B: Please note that I could not test the software mentioned in this article as I currently do not own a Switch. The best efforts have been made to report accurate information through online research! – Aurora.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/18/nintendo-switch-scene-exploding-emulators-gameboy-colour-advance-nintendo-ds-emulators-fw-5-0-0-released/feed/2538652PS4: How to get your hands on a PS4 with firmware 5.05 or lowerhttp://wololo.net/2018/05/18/ps4-get-hands-ps4-firmware-5-05-lower/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/18/ps4-get-hands-ps4-firmware-5-05-lower/#commentsFri, 18 May 2018 13:59:00 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38647A PS4 5.05 Jailbreak was announced in May 2018 (it has not been released yet at the time of writing this. Check our PS4 Jailbreak page for the latest status). As always when these...

]]>A PS4 5.05 Jailbreak was announced in May 2018 (it has not been released yet at the time of writing this. Check our PS4 Jailbreak page for the latest status). As always when these things happen, we expect the price of 5.05 PS4s to increase significantly. This is in particular true since those Jailbreaks are typically followed by piracy, which make the devices attractive for a larger category of people than just tinkerers.

If you’re looking for a 5.05 PS4, for homebrew, hacks, or other purpose, follow this guide to help you get a 5.05 PS4 for a reasonable price.

About PS4 Firmware 5.05

PS4 Firmware 5.05 was released on 2018/01/18 (January 18th, 2018). Any bundle released before that date will have a firmware below 5.05. Bundles released shortly after that date might also have the right firmware, but your mileage might vary.

Some advice when shopping for a PS4:

It’s easier to ensure you have the right firmware version if you get the device new and sealed, not “used”

If you get a “used” console, be careful: most sellers update the console to the latest firmware before selling it. Ask them to confirm the firmware version before buying anything. This is true both online and in brick&mortar stores.

On Amazon and eBay, some sellers sell a different product than what the description says. I have seen some sellers offering the Star Wars bundle instead of the Killzone Shadow Fall bundle, for example. Be careful here, as always, ask the sellers for details if possible. Similarly, some sellers might sell a console + the game as a “bundle” without actually selling “the” bundle as it was originally released. If this happens to you, see point 4 below.

Amazon have a great return policy. Use it if the PS4 is not the one you expected!

Buying a PS4 new, with a low firmware

The ideal way to get yourself an “old” PS4 firmware is to buy one of the old bundles, and to get it new.

On eBay, you can look for PS4 5.05. Make sure to get a “sealed” unit or ask the seller for confirmation of the firmware. On Amazon, searching for PS4 bundle will get you started.

Specific bundles below, keep in mind the list is not exhaustive. Let me insist that you need to do your homework: contact the sellers to confirm as much information as possible before buying, make sure you understand their return policy, etc. There is no guarantee that the links below will consistently ensure a lower firmware. Again, leverage the return policy if you’re not getting what you want.

Alternatively, buying online might not be the best option for you: you might have better luck going to your local “used and new” shop, and actually try the console to verify its firmware. Most local shops will let you check the firmware version if you explain your situation. Remember they just want to sell stuff, not judge you on why you want to buy a lower firmware console. “I’m a tinkerer and need a console on firmware 5.05 or below in order to install Linux, I’m not interested in a more recent firmware” usually gets the point across

Note: the Amazon links below are affiliate links. You don’t pay anything extra but we get a small commission if you purchase through our links.

Wow, all of these bundles are way too expensive, what can I do?

As I mentioned above, you can try your luck and get a “regular” PS4 slim, hoping it will come on a lower firmware.

Or, skip the current hack, buy a vanilla PS4 Pro or PS4 slim today, and store it on a shelf until the next hack comes. When the next hack comes, your PS4 will be on the right firmware or lower. This is what lots of us already did, ending up with one PS4 for hacks and one PS4 for games (that we keep up to date). This gives you the best of both worlds.

Leave your feedback to make this list better!

If you know about other bundles that ship with a low firmware, please let us know in the comments section! Also, if one of the bundles above shipped to you with a firmware above 5.05, please report with as many details as possible (where you bought it, did you contact the seller, did you have any issues doing a return, etc…)

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/18/ps4-get-hands-ps4-firmware-5-05-lower/feed/3038647PS4 firmware 5.55 releasedhttp://wololo.net/2018/05/18/ps4-firmware-5-55-released/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/18/ps4-firmware-5-55-released/#commentsFri, 18 May 2018 01:37:46 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38644Sony released PS4 firmware 5.55 yesterday. The official changelog states that “this system software update improves system performance.”. This could be anything, including patches for undisclosed exploits on the console. As always, if you...

The official changelog states that “this system software update improves system performance.”. This could be anything, including patches for undisclosed exploits on the console. As always, if you intend to hack your console, we advise not to update unless you really have to. Better yet, if you can afford it, the easiest way to get the best of both worlds is to have two PS4s: one for gaming, another one for hacking.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/18/ps4-firmware-5-55-released/feed/1038644Another nail in the PSVita’s coffin: Sony announces that PSVita game cartridges will stop being produced in less than a year!http://wololo.net/2018/05/16/another-nail-psvitas-coffin-sony-announces-psvita-game-cartridges-will-stop-produced-less-year/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/16/another-nail-psvitas-coffin-sony-announces-psvita-game-cartridges-will-stop-produced-less-year/#commentsWed, 16 May 2018 16:29:17 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38634UPDATE: Apparently Sony of Japan will still be producing physical games according to some news sources! Due to various reasons, from expensive memory cards to the lack of AAA titles people wanted to...

]]>UPDATE: Apparently Sony of Japan will still be producing physical games according to some news sources!

Due to various reasons, from expensive memory cards to the lack of AAA titles people wanted to play, the PSVita was somewhat of a failure in the West even though it enjoyed moderate success in Japan. Now, in order to drive another nail in the PSVita’s coffin, Sony has announced that physical games will soon become a thing of the past!

What exactly has Sony told us?

If you really want your new games on cartridge, you’ll have to look over at Nintendo’s offerings now!

In a very recent message to developers, Sony has stated that:

It will stop producing PSVita cartridges by the 31st of March, 2019 which is the end of 2018’s fiscal year.

While cartridges will stop being produced on 31/3/2019, it is also important to mention that Sony will no longer accept new product codes starting from the 29th of June of this year. This means that companies have to give Sony their product code for their new physical games till the above date.

Furthermore, Sony has stated that it will be accepting its last purchase orders on the 15th of February 2019 which means that in 9 months’ time, the last PSVita game cartridges will be ordered from Sony.

This recent development is probably news to nobody’s ears as Sony has already announced that it’ll stop providing free PS+ games for the PSVita/PS3 starting from March 2019. While this news is unfortunate, one must keep in mind that the PSVita has been on its way for the last couple of years so there has probably been little demand for new physical games especially outside of Japan.

What does this mean for me?

First of all, it must be noted that digital titles will still be accepted in the PSN store so this doesn’t mean that new games will stop being released for the console. This, however, does mean that new games will eventually only be available exclusively from the online PSN store.

Without any doubt, this will mostly impact people who still purchase new cartridge games for the PSVita for various reasons such as:

The imminent close-down of online game stores. This is already becoming a reality as the Wii’s online game store will be fully closed down on 31/1/2019 and purchased games may no longer be able for download.

Perhaps Sony wants to get rid of its remaining larger memory cards by forcing titles released in 2019+ to be released in digital form only!

Reluctance to buy a larger Vita memory card. For people who can’t use an SD2Vita adapter due to their console not being hacked, this will be a problem if they don’t want to spend the money on a larger Vita memory card.

Being afraid of losing their games if they’re banned from the online store due to hacking their console.

Wanting to sell them off after they’re done with them while still retaining their PSN account.

In order to mitigate the effects of this imminent discontinuation of cartridges, you can:

Backup your PSVita games to your computer via QCMA so that when the PSN store closes, you’ll still be able to get your digitally purchased games on your console.

Hack your console and buy an SD2Vita so that you’ll have a cheaper way to store any new digital games that you won’t be able to get on cartridge. Obviously, this has the repercussion of occupying your game card slot!

Conclusion

While for some people this is sad news, it’s unlikely to affect anybody too greatly so life will go on and new games will still be released albeit without a physical release.

Hopefully, with Sony’s wavering interest in the PSVita/PSTV, they’ll stop pushing new firmware updates so that the latest FW always has a hack after TheFlow releases his upcoming hack!

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/16/another-nail-psvitas-coffin-sony-announces-psvita-game-cartridges-will-stop-produced-less-year/feed/3838634Team Xecuter tout their upcoming “SX Family” dongles for the Nintendo Switchhttp://wololo.net/2018/05/15/team-xecuter-tout-upcoming-sx-family-dongle-nintendo-switch/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/15/team-xecuter-tout-upcoming-sx-family-dongle-nintendo-switch/#commentsTue, 15 May 2018 13:43:21 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38629Team Xecuter showcased a video of their upcoming Nintendo Switch dongle, named SX, and announced preorders will be available soon (Video Below). The device, unsurprisingly, is a usb dongle to use in collaboration with...

Team Xecuter showcased a video of their upcoming Nintendo Switch dongle, named SX, and announced preorders will be available soon (Video Below).

The device, unsurprisingly, is a usb dongle to use in collaboration with a tiny piece of metal that will shortcut the right pins from the joycon slot. This basically uses the same triggers as the Reswitched hack that was released weeks ago, and as described in the Nvidia Tegra vulnerability. Team Xecuter are late to the party, but they hope that some of their device’s features will make up for it.

The video doesn’t show much, besides a crude menu at startup (with options and two separate “modes”?), and a strong implication that the device will let users run pirated games.

In theory, the existing open source fusee gelee hack, coupled with the upcoming Atmosphere CFW, would let Switch tinkerers do all of that and much more. But as I have mentioned before, the open source hacking scene has a marketing problem. It is possible that Team Xecuter’s SX dongle will be popular enough to get strong support on the main scene forums, under the promise that it will provide an easy way to pirate Switch games.

Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but Team Xecuter state that preorders for the device will start at the end of the week. Some hardware mod sites are already touting the device as if it was made of unicorn blood (hint: these sites take a commission for each device sold. They don’t get money when you download and install a free alternative, so don’t dismiss reviews entirely, but be careful of that bias).

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/15/team-xecuter-tout-upcoming-sx-family-dongle-nintendo-switch/feed/6138629Are you guaranteed to get a PS4 with firmware 5.05 or lower if you buy it now?http://wololo.net/2018/05/14/guaranteed-get-ps4-firmware-5-05-lower-buy-now/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/14/guaranteed-get-ps4-firmware-5-05-lower-buy-now/#commentsMon, 14 May 2018 16:11:35 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38614When SpecterDev tweeted about the upcoming 5.05 PS4 exploit, I got excited because pretty much all PS4s in stores today are “most likely” to ship with firmware 5.05 or lower. Is it 100% the...

]]>When SpecterDev tweeted about the upcoming 5.05 PS4 exploit, I got excited because pretty much all PS4s in stores today are “most likely” to ship with firmware 5.05 or lower. Is it 100% the case though?

Unfortunately, multiple people have reported that they have bought new PS4s that shipped with firmware 5.50, or even the recently spotted, but unusual, firmware 5.07.

Additionally, at least two people have told me they bought PS4s that shipped with firmware 5.07. One was in Japan (that person contacted me by email), and the other one in Spain. In both cases, these were PS4 Slims. It’s unclear at this point if 5.07 is fundamentally different from 5.05. There’s a possibility it is vulnerable to the exploit in firmware 5.05 but that hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Bottom line is, there is a real risk that if you buy a PS4 today from one of the major retailers, it could ship with a firmware that’s not vulnerable to the upcoming exploit.

The risk is real

The solution will therefore be, as we’ve shown before for firmware 4.55, to get a PS4 as part of a bundle that is pretty much guaranteed to ship with the right firmware, as long as you buy it new.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/14/guaranteed-get-ps4-firmware-5-05-lower-buy-now/feed/3538614TheFlow officially advises on what to do if your PSVita/PSTV is running 3.61-3.68: Firmware 3.65 will become the new FW 3.60 and more!http://wololo.net/2018/05/14/theflow-officially-advises-psvita-pstv-running-3-61-3-68-firmware-3-65-will-become-new-fw-3-60/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/14/theflow-officially-advises-psvita-pstv-running-3-61-3-68-firmware-3-65-will-become-new-fw-3-60/#commentsMon, 14 May 2018 15:25:47 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38622Ever since firmware 3.61 was released back in August 2016 to prevent HENkaku from running, the most popular PSVita hacking request was support for a higher firmware. Yesterday, TheFlow has decided to put everybody’s...

]]>Ever since firmware 3.61 was released back in August 2016 to prevent HENkaku from running, the most popular PSVita hacking request was support for a higher firmware. Yesterday, TheFlow has decided to put everybody’s mind at rest and tell us which firmware we should be on for a hack!

What is TheFlow’s hack all about?

If you were not in the loop, since last March you could update to FW 3.65 from 3.60 and still keep your hack (with the untether)

If you weren’t following, earlier this year, in February to be exact, TheFlow told us that he had a hack on his hand that supports FW 3.61+, including 3.67. Then, in March he released his CFW Updater which updated PSVita/PSTV consoles running 3.60 to a hacked version of 3.65 with HENkaku Ensō which let you run games that require a higher FW. After that, in April, he announced that Sony’s most recent PSV firmware, version 3.68, doesn’t break his previous hack so that means that the current latest FW will still be getting his upcoming hack!

Apart from telling us about his hack, TheFlow also told he plans to release towards the end of this year or next year so obviously the question on many people’s mind changed from “Is there a hack for FW 3.61+??” to “Which firmwares will be hackable?”. Thanks to yesterday’s tweet, TheFlow has properly answered this question as will be discussed in the following section.

So, which firmware should you be on after all?

Apparently FW 3.61 and 3.63 won’t be getting the hack so you can get off those firmwares if you want!

In the simplest way possible, this is which firmware your PSVita should be on if:

You are on firmware 1.03-3.57, you are safe to update to firmware 3.60 as that’s the only version where you can get HENkaku/taiHEN running right now!

You are on firmware 3.60, for now I personally advise staying there as you can play dumped copies of games that require 3.61-3.65 (albeit illegally) and run all your favourite homebrew/plugins.

If you really want to go to firmware 3.65, you can use TheFlow’s CFW updater and through that you’ll have HENkaku Ensō running on FW 3.65. Remember, the full exploit chain hasn’t been released so you can’t reinstall the OS and if you manage to mess up HENkaku Ensō, your PSVita will no longer be hacked!

If you’re on firmware 3.61 or 3.63 and don’t have ARK-2, you are free to update to firmware 3.65 since that will be supported by TheFlow’s upcoming hack and will also let you run HENkaku Ensō (HENkaku without having to apply it every reboot). DO NOT UPDATE TO FIRMWARE 3.67 OR 3.68 IF YOU’RE HERE AND ARE WAITING FOR A HACK.

If you were losing sleeping on which FW you should have on your PSVita, TheFlow has come to the rescue!

If you’re currently on firmware 3.67, you can update to firmware 3.68 if you want to as there are no real differences BUT do keep in mind that some homebrew/plugins that have been updated with FW 3.67 support might not work due to different memory offsets.

Finally, TheFlow also stated that his hack will only run on firmware 3.65-3.68 BUT the untether will only work on firmware 3.65 as FW 3.67-3.68 have patched the exploit in the bootloader that HENkaku Ensō was using! That means that HENkaku will have to be applied every reboot on FW 3.67 and 3.68 like we did before HENkaku Ensō was released last year.

Conclusion

Obviously, TheFlow telling us this information doesn’t mean that he’ll be releasing his hack any sooner so don’t go pestering him! Remember, TheFlow doesn’t owe you anything so he isn’t obliged to release anything and is doing this out of his own initiative.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/14/theflow-officially-advises-psvita-pstv-running-3-61-3-68-firmware-3-65-will-become-new-fw-3-60/feed/2038622PS4: Mira project & what to expect from the upcoming 5.05 jailbreak releasehttp://wololo.net/2018/05/14/ps4-mira-project-expect-upcoming-5-05-jailbreak-release/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/14/ps4-mira-project-expect-upcoming-5-05-jailbreak-release/#commentsMon, 14 May 2018 13:27:18 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38611A few days ago, PS4 hacker SpecterDev revealed that an exploit for PS4 firmware 5.05 will be released “in the weeks to come”. (I personally trust SpecterDev so much that I jumped the gun...

In addition to a full kernel exploit, the developer announced that this release will include development tools and more. Over the past few days, a few details and rumors have been circulating.

Mira Project – the PS4 Homebrew platform

Hacker Mathieulh has confirmed that the Open Orbis hacking team is a thing, and they will be releasing the “Mira Project” simultaneously with the 5.05 hack (the github was formerly confirmed to be real by Abkarino). This was also confirmed by famous PS3 hacker Rogero in the same thread. Qwertyoruiopalso explained this release will be more than what former PS4 jailbreaks have been.

The github for the Mira project is a trove of information. First of all, we learn that Mira will include the components for a PS4 Custom Firmware. Before everyone jumps the gun, this CFW will be closer to what we typically call a “HEN” around here*, as in, a Custom Firmware that you’ll have to re-launch after a reboot of the console (note: after years of using such tools on the PSP and other consoles, I’ve actually grown to prefer HENs to “full fledged” custom firmwares, as I like very much the idea that all traces of the hack are gone if I reboot my console. Just a personal preference).

I’m thinking kernel plugins, and of course, homebrews becoming easier to install, customization of the console, etc… could come to the PS4 as developers get to understand how to work with the Mira CFW.

Open PS4 SDK incoming for homebrew development

Additionally, the Mira project will come with a libc implementation for the PS4, and the linker to come with it. This will basically give us the base for an SDK for the PS4, and should be enough to create basic homebrew. This father of 3 wishes he had more time to get back into homebrew development.

It is unclear at the moment if advanced features such as perfect controller APIs or GPU support will be here, but as more libraries of the PS4 get reverse engineered, it should be possible to add them and build an SDK with additional features.

PS4 Mira project: All-stars team of contributors

The Mira project readme gives an impressive list of hackers who have contributed to the project, although I assume some of these contributions are indirect. But basically if you’re thinking of a PS4 hacker who has majorly contributed to the PS4 scene recently, their name is probably on the list of credits for the Mira project.

PS4 5.05 Exploit – release when?

Rumors state that the 5.05 exploit release could happen around 20th of May. That guess is as good as any, honestly, as I don’t think any of the major hackers involved in this exploit have given any precise date yet. (Correct me – with source – if that’s wrong)

* People will probably disagree with my choice of words here, but I’m used to that. A HEN is a “Homebrew Enabler” while a custom firmware is typically more structured and lets you do more advanced manipulation such as replacing modules, etc… in practice, there’s usually no difference to the end user because the underlying kernel exploit pretty much lets you do whatever you please on the machine. In the PSP scene hackers have used the word “HEN” to mean “a Custom Firmware that you lose at each reboot”.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/14/ps4-mira-project-expect-upcoming-5-05-jailbreak-release/feed/1738611Nintendo Switch: Checkpoint Save Manager ported to the Switch and goes open-source; Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Save Editor Released!http://wololo.net/2018/05/12/nintendo-switch-checkpoint-save-manager-ported-switch-goes-open-source-mario-kart-8-deluxe-save-editor-released/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/12/nintendo-switch-checkpoint-save-manager-ported-switch-goes-open-source-mario-kart-8-deluxe-save-editor-released/#commentsSat, 12 May 2018 10:41:20 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38603Like Sony with the PSVita, Nintendo also thinks that it’s funny to lock down saves on a device and not provide an easy official way to back them up locally. Now, Checkpoint has been...

]]>Like Sony with the PSVita, Nintendo also thinks that it’s funny to lock down saves on a device and not provide an easy official way to back them up locally. Now, Checkpoint has been ported to the Nintendo Switch and a Mario Kart 8 save editor has been released since by hacking your Switch, you can decide what to do with your saves!

Checkpoint ported to the Nintendo Switch and goes open-source

Checkpoint is a save manager for hacked Nintendo 3DS consoles that was released last year by Bernardo Giordano which has now been ported to the Nintendo Switch. This save manager is quite feature packed as it features:

Support for 3DS and DS carts, digital games and demo titles on the Nintendo 3DS version among many other features.

Support for all NAND (local) saves on the Nintendo Switch and support for firmware 3.0.0 on the Nintendo Switch version.

An easily navigable touchscreen UI without much fluff so you can easily backup and restore your save games with the least effort possible.

Checkpoint’s UI is very simple and easy to use so it does its job without added clutter!

Until this release, Checkpoint for the Nintendo Switch wasn’t open-source nor publicly available but now, it’s open-source so that people can contribute to it and perhaps even make it work on other versions of Switch FW.

As version 3.1.0 of Checkpoint is the first release for the Nintendo Switch, the developer would like to state that:

It is only confirmed to work on FW 3.0.0 by the developer himself but users have reported it also works on FW 2.3.0.

The utility doesn’t work in docked mode so you must use it in tablet mode as it requires touch input to work.

To draw the screen, an older method is used but that should be eventually remedied with usage of a shared font library.

Currently, the developer doesn’t have access to hacked Nintendo Switch so support and updates may be a little harder to push out as he depends on testers! UPDATE: According to a recent tweet, he now has homebrew access!

Success! Nintendo has been successfully deprived of the $20/year they want for you to backup your saves!

To get Checkpoint for the Nintendo Switch and subsequently defy Nintendo, who wants to become the master of your saves by making you pay $20/year for cloud saves, simply follow the link below and install the NRO file via Homebrew Launcher or your preferred homebrew loader.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe save editor released for the Nintendo Switch

With the advent of the aforementioned Checkpoint Save Manager, GBATemp user “Mega-Mew” has decided to start utilising the new save manipulation abilities to hack save data for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, a game that saw massive success on the Wii U which was then enhanced and ported to the Nintendo Switch.

Through this work-in-progress save editor, you can edit:

Game statistics such as the amount of coins you have, the number of drifts you did and mini-turbo and jump boost stats.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Save Manager in action. Image courtesy of Mega-Mew (GBATemp). I can confirm it also works on Windows 7.

Online play statistics which might inevitably lead to some trouble with Nintendo as according to some people, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe uses Nintendo’s authentication servers before allowing you to use P2P multiplayer.

More things in future releases such as kart unlocking and amiibos

In order to use this save editor, you need to first dump your game save data via Checkpoint Save Manager then copy it to your computer and start editing away! Obviously, you need a hacked Nintendo Switch to make use of this save editor.

In order to get this, simply follow the link below.

Conclusion

With the Switch’s saves finally becoming yours, you can download the programs above to defy Nintendo from the link below!

If you have any issues, simply report them to their software’s respective author by following the links below.

N.B: Please note that I could not test the software mentioned in this article as I currently do not own a Switch. The best efforts have been made to report accurate information through online research! – Aurora.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/12/nintendo-switch-checkpoint-save-manager-ported-switch-goes-open-source-mario-kart-8-deluxe-save-editor-released/feed/1538603PS4 hack: Mathieulh states he has a 5.53 Kernel exploithttp://wololo.net/2018/05/11/ps4-hack-mathieulh-states-5-53-kernel-exploit/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/11/ps4-hack-mathieulh-states-5-53-kernel-exploit/#commentsFri, 11 May 2018 13:31:40 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38597If you’ve been keeping your PS4 on firmware 5.05 or lower, stop reading right now: SpecterDev announced a few hours ago that a PS4 5.05 Jailbreak release will happen in the next few weeks....

If you’ve been keeping your PS4 on firmware 5.05 or lower, stop reading right now: SpecterDev announced a few hours ago that a PS4 5.05 Jailbreak release will happen in the next few weeks. But if you’re one of the poor souls who are stuck on firmware 5.50, 5.53, or above, you might want to keep reading.

Mathieulh, known for his contributions to the PSP and PS3 scenes, has recently been sharing a few bits and pieces of information on PS4 hacking. Earlier today, he shared on twitter something that indicates he was able to dump and decrypt firmware 5.53, hinting he likely has access to a 5.53 Kernel exploit.

As often, this information comes with little details, and in particular no word of a release. To the people who asked, Mathieulh replied that when you’re not happy about hackers keeping their exploits private for some time, the best (only?) thing you can do about it is to start learning about hacking yourself.

Granted, hacking a console is way more difficult today than it was 10 years ago.

In the twitter thread, the developer has commented on the upcoming 5.05 jailbreak release, stating there were good reasons it took some time (even if it is right around the corner now). A logical interpretation is that the hackers wanted the SDK to be ready. The same statement was made by Qwertyoruiop later today.

In the same tweet, he said “Keep in mind that a 4.55 exploit chain was published not long ago, so things do get shared”. As much as people get frustrated by the delay in releases, it’s important to understand that in order to find more exploits, hackers always have to keep at least one exploit private at a given time, so that they can reuse it to investigate further firmwares. There’s also a different level of implications for a hacker who would publish an exploit on the latest firmware (a zero day) versus an exploit for an older firmware. Even though legally a company like Sony could probably find good reasons to at least threaten a hacker in both cases, a public zero day hack (i.e., today, that would mean a hack on firmware 5.53) would damage their business way more than a hack released for an older firmware.

What’s in it for the End user?

What’s in this announcement for the scene is hope, pretty much. If you’re on 5.50 or 5.53, you now know that a kernel exploit exists for your firmware.

]]>http://wololo.net/2018/05/11/ps4-hack-mathieulh-states-5-53-kernel-exploit/feed/4138597SpecterDev: Full fledged PS4 5.05 Jailbreak + tools incoming in the next few weekshttp://wololo.net/2018/05/11/specterdev-full-fledged-ps4-5-05-jailbreak-tools-incoming-next-weeks/
http://wololo.net/2018/05/11/specterdev-full-fledged-ps4-5-05-jailbreak-tools-incoming-next-weeks/#commentsFri, 11 May 2018 07:46:32 +0000http://wololo.net/?p=38593Alright, I wouldn’t rush until things are released, but it’s probably good to understand that at the time of writing, any PS4 that you buy new from any retailer will pretty much ship with...

Alright, I wouldn’t rush until things are released, but it’s probably good to understand that at the time of writing, any PS4 that you buy new from any retailer will pretty much ship with firmware 5.05 or lower.

A few minutes ago, PS4 hacker SpecterDev announced on twitter that a “full stack release” for PS4 5.05 will be released in the next few weeks. He later gave the precision that yes, this means a kernel exploit, but also more, including “tools for homebrew development”.

The announcement is likely to have the effect of a bomb as soon as all scene sites catch up on it. This is huge news, potentially bigger news than any PS4 exploit released in the scene so far, for two reasons.

First, because firmware 5.05 is extremely recent (it was released less than 4 months ago). This means, as I mentioned above, that if you buy a PS4 new, today, it is extremely likely to ship with firmware 5.05 or lower*. This includes PS4 Pro models. In the past, PS4 exploits that have been released, had been released for firmwares that were much older and therefore finding the right console to buy was a challenge. If you’re lucky, your current console might still even be on 5.05.

Second, because SpecterDev announced that additional tools are coming with this release. The PS4 scene so far has been slowed down by the lack of a proper open source SDK, and it is possible that with this release we’ll get a basic SDK to start working on homebrews, which could help the scene move further. In particular on the homebrew front.

Given SpecterDev’s past track record, there is no reason to believe this could be a hoax or a bad joke. This in my opinion would make it one of the biggest releases of the PS4 scene so far.

Although the decision is yours, in particular in this context where nothing has been released yet, this might be the best time to grab a second PS4, ahead of the release.

Update: this goes without saying, but if you have a console below 5.05, do not update for now! Wait until an actual release!